Welcome to Girl World
by undiscovered talent
Summary: High school the place where everything happens, sometimes for better or for worse.Things change. Old ties can break. And for Lizzy Winchester, friends fade and so does her sanity.
1. Chapter 1

_Chapter **1**_

The moon was full with an unusual yellow haze around it tonight. My nostrils filled with the wonderful smell of summer air mixed with grass and chlorine from the pool in the backyard. As I sat on the deck in my wicker chair in my pajamas I could hear the obnoxious, yet relaxing chirp of the crickets scattering about in the grass. I sucked on the sweet cherry popsicle as it dripped on my leg, and it tasted like the best popsicle that my taste buds have ever had the privilege of enjoying. It was probably just my anxiety kicking in, but my all of my thoughts and anticipations were racing through my head faster than the Indy 500, and my brain felt like it was going to explode and scatter onto the hard wooden planks of my deck. Tonight was my very last glimpse of the short dream that I like to call summer. But this summer seemed strangely short. The days were more like minutes, and the hours like seconds. And even now as I sit here in a daze, my heart beats faster with stress from the thought that tomorrow I would be entering a world outside of my own - Ashtonville Hills High School.

I wondered how long I had been sitting outside in my summer's dream, and I looked through the window into the kitchen. The black hands on the clock read exactly 11:00. Surprisingly I had been out here staring at the moon's foggy white mist for more then three hours, and yet it felt like three minutes. Time had obviously escaped me, and so had my sanity. I don't know what this strange, engulfing emotion is that's taking over me. I had to go to sleep though, before I lost my physical state-of-being as well, and after all tomorrow would probably be the day that the mind of I, Elizabeth Anne Winchester, cracks. Especially with such a rich, snobby name like that- the exact opposite of me. I am not popular, drop-dead-gorgeous, or stuck-up. My name doesn't fit who I am, so I pretend that my parents weren't going completely psycho when they named me, and just go by simply, Lizzy Winchester, the name I gave myself.

Sleeping is completely out of realm when tomorrow is the day that your life changes forever. My eyes were shut, but it was as if I was running on adrenaline power, and slipping in and out of this daze that I think was supposed to be a form of sleep. Before I knew it six o'clock had come around too fast and I was slamming my fist down on the snooze button of my obnoxiously loud alarm clock to stop the constant beeping in my ear. I pulled off the covers and sprang out of bed still running on my auto-pilot serge of energy that I had gained last night. What was up with this feeling-this…sick-to-my- stomach nervous feeling. I mean high school couldn't be all that bad right? What am I worrying for, it's probably the exact same thing as middle school, and after all, I know I have one friend that will stick with me through this. Amber Bailey- she is my best friend in the entire world, and she and I have been to the moon and back. Ever since Amber reached over and borrowed my blue crayon in kindergarten we have had each other's backs and have pretty much done everything together. I had to call Amber and ask her for some much needed fashion advice, before I became a fashion disaster, and then forever risked being known as "the weird girl" who had no friends.

Just then, the phone rang and I almost jumped through the ceiling. I picked up my fluffy pink phone off of my nightstand next to my bed and pressed the big red talk button.

"Hello?", I mumbled into the mouthpiece of the phone.

"Heyyyy Liz! What's up?", replied Amber ecstatically.

"Oh my god, hi! You scared me half to death, but I was just gonna call you anyway."

"Listen, I need fashion advice, pronto," I pleaded.

"Uhmm, let's see. I think that pink shirt that you got at the mall the other day would be gorgeous against your auburn hair. You know, that one we got at Hollister with the little rhinestones on it?", replied Amber.

"Yeah. You're going on the bus right?"

"Yeah."

"Kay good, cuz I gotta go get ready. I'll talk to you there. Oh and save me a seat."

"Alright, will do, bye!"

"Bye," I told Amber as I hung up the phone.

I walked over to my messy closet and grabbed the pink shirt with the rhinestones from the Hollister bag, just as Amber had said to, and pulled it over my head. The mirror had proved Amber right. Not being conceded, but it did look really good against my reddish-brown hair and lightly tanned summer skin, and it really brought out my piercing, green eyes. My eyes had always been my best feature, just because there was something about them that was so mysterious and so- intense. They are the only thing that I probably love about myself.

I looked over at my fluffy white Bishon Friese, Bella. Sure enough, she was stepping on my Abercrombie & Fitch jean skirt that I was going to wear today.

"Bella, I need that," I said as I picked up my dog and put her on my bed.

I stared at Bella and there was the face. You know, that adorable I'm-so-cute-feel-sorry-for-me face that little puppies give you.

"I can't play with you now, I'm sorry Bella," I explained to the little dog on my bed that was just longing for sympathy.

Just then, my 16-year-old sister, barged into my room.

"Lizzy, mom wants you to come downstairs," exclaimed my sister obnoxiously.

"Jeeze Al, don't you know how to knock!", I yelled.

"Yeah, but you freshmen have got to learn that high school is so overrated," Ally sighed with attitude as she slammed my door shut.

That's my wonderful sister, Allyson Marie Winchester for you. Sure, she's interesting alright. Through the dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, and perfect body, you see the true side of her. Let's just say, being her sister isn't all it's cut out to be. Everyone loves her, and ignores my very existence. Ally is everything you could ever want- the star athlete, the teacher's pet, the drop-dead-gorgeous-most popular girl in the eleventh grade, and the girl that gets any guy she wants in the blink of an eye. But me, I'm just the girl in the background, the one who has the notorious reputation of being Ally Winchester's nobody little sister. And now that I'm going to be a freshman, things should be interesting at Ashtonville Hills High.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Hi guys! Sorry for the looong wait but I've been so busy lately. [ I probably won't be updating for a while cuz I have lots of stuff to do the next few weeks.. But I will try!! PLEASE read and review!! Well anyway, hope you like chapter 2 **

**Chapter 2**

I sat downstairs in the kitchen tapping my fingers on the hard wooden table, covered by the blue and white checkered tablecloth. Of course, now is the time when my nerves get to me and the clock decides to go slower than usual, and waiting for the bus is like waiting on death row. Only for me, I was waiting for Ashtonville Hills High School, which isn't much better, and suddenly, death row sounded pretty enticing.

"Lizzy, sweetheart, it's okay, high school isn't that bad, your going to love it.," explained my over-optimistic mother trying to comfort me.

But nothing was going to slow down my thoughts and anticipations now. No matter what, they didn't seem like they were coming to a pit stop anytime soon. I looked out the window, and there it was- the school bus that was going to take me to the place of total insanity.

"Ally, let's go before we miss the bus!"

"Relax you little freshman, you're such a dork Liz!"

"Shut up Al!" I snapped back at my know-it-all sister as I slammed the door shut in her face.

Hey, a little revenge never hurt anyone right? Just that would tick her off for the next few hours. There's nothing like good old fashioned sibling rivalry. Me and Ally are constantly at each other's throats. But suddenly I was happy. Happy because, for once, I had beat out Allyson at something. It's a constant competition between her and I, and this time I did it first, I won. I must have been too happy though, because the next thing I knew, my face was planted in the cold, wet grass, and I had tripped. So much for the usual calm, cool, and collective first impression I was hoping to give. Now, I could possibly be known as "the clumsy little freshman" for the rest of high school. That is, unless nobody saw it.

I walked slowly across the grass making it a point not to fall again. The doors on the bus flung open in front of my face, and I felt my stomach drop. My feet were no longer controllable, and it was like my body was being taken over by a robot. But otherwise, it seemed like things were going smoothly until I looked up. To my right there was an older-looking bus driver with shaggy hair and a flannel checkered shirt, but when I turned my head to the front, I saw nothing but what looked like a million eyes, and the rest disappeared into a black abyss. There was complete and utter silence. Every single person on the bus was staring at me.

"Nice trip freshman!" shouted a random voice from the back. A few giggles came along with the comment, but that was all.

"Liz! Back here!" yelled Amber as she waved me over to the seat she was in. Sudden relief swept over me, I was no longer alone.

"Heyy, did you see me fall?"

"No, but you seriously fell?" Amber questioned.

"Yeah, face down in the grass!"

"Oh my god, you are so lucky that no one was really paying attention to your 'smooth' moves!" giggled Amber praising my unfortunate clumsiness.

"I'm so nervous," we both replied simultaneously, and laughed.

"Don't make it too obvious Liz," Amber said sounding like the new Dr. Phil.

"I can only try."

The bus pulled up into the circle and it came to a stop in front of a gigantic building. This was Ashtonville Hills High. This was the place where my mind was going to fade into insanity. This was the place where I met my defeat, against myself. This was the place where I secretly wished I could pinch myself and wake up from this nightmare.

With each footstep I felt my heart skip a beat. How and why is this happening to me? As I walked up the gray stone stairs, I looked around me and saw that I was walking along with what looked like a stampede. Was this high school or a roller coaster? I really couldn't tell because they both felt the same- or at least my stomach did.

The steps seemed miles long, but when I finally reached the top, I went through the doors into the hallway. So this was high school. I couldn't believe my eyes. This huge jumble of kids pushing through the doors and hallways would be what I would be facing  
for the next four years of my life. I searched frantically through my purse trying to find my schedule without being sucked into the sea of other freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and the ever so obnoxious seniors. After being pushed into about twenty lockers, I finally found my schedule. I glanced at the bold black letters and it read homeroom with Mrs. Landon in room 226. Now for the second challenge- trying to find it. I felt like a needle in a haystack without any of my friends with me. Then suddenly, I heard a familiar high-pitched voice.

"Heyy Liz, wait up!"

There was Amber. She must have gotten lost in the crowd too. But only she was with a gorgeous, bleached blonde girl with aqua eyes who I would never think less of than a model just off the runway. How on Earth could Amber have already made a friend, and especially one who looked like she owned Buckingham Palace, for that matter? A lump of fear began to form in my throat. Fear that this girl could take my place in Amber's life, and sooner than I thought.

"Liz this is Brooke Riley, she went to the other middle school," said Amber with a bubbly attitude.

"Uhmm...hi Brooke, I'm Liz Winchester" I stuttered.

"Hi," Brooke replied putting on a suspicious "seemingly-nice" act.

Brooke stood there inspecting her perfectly manicured fingernails for any imperfections (not like she would find any), but was disrupted by a tap on the shoulder from a dark haired girl with a high ponytail and a few other girls that followed her. To be honest, they both worried me. I could never be friends with _these_ girls. These girls were the kind of girls who were "friends" with you one minute just because they wanted something from you, and the next minute spread nasty rumors about you faster than the plague. How hard could it be though? They are just girls. All I have to do is talk, but I'm not ready to change yet. As I thought about it more I felt that feeling again, only this time I felt my breakfast working its way up my esophagus.

Brooke whipped her head around like an owl and diverted her attention to the dark-haired girl and her friends.

"Brooke who are they?" questioned the girl in a quiet tone.

"Oh uhmm… guys this is Amber Bailey and Liz Winchester," Brooke announced like a game show host.

"And Amber and Liz, here is Rachel Hallaway, Kylie Greendale, Crystal Ferilla, and Melanie Verona."

I opened my purse and glanced at my cell phone. The time on the small glowing screen said that I had to leave for homeroom or I'd risk making a bad impression by being late on the first day. Besides, I couldn't stand here with these "princesses" any longer. They were just too intimidating for me.

"Sorry guys but I gotta go."

"Really, where?" questioned Amber.

"Homeroom, I'm gonna be late if I don't leave now."

"Alright, bye Liz," Amber hugged me. "Good luck!" she whispered in my ear.

I genuinely smiled back at her and walked the other way. But my smile was immediately wiped off my face when I heard the other popular girls snicker at my efforts to be a "good student". I also had a weird feeling that this wouldn't be the last time I'd be hurt in this school.

I felt myself blushing as my cheeks got warm and the lump in my throat got bigger. I walked at a quicker pace as my embarrassment took over. All of my fears were beginning to come true. My head was down looking at my feet and I was really paying no attention to where I was going.

All of a sudden, I felt my books go flying in every direction across the hallway. My mouth flew open and I dropped to the floor to pick up my scattered books. As I was picking them up, I saw a mysterious hand grab the same book I was grabbing, and I looked up. What I saw was what shocked me most.

I was staring into gorgeous cobalt blue eyes, and at the most adorable smile I had ever seen. To my surprise, I was face-to-face with a really hot guy. Why would he help me? And in front of the whole school? This guy was on his hands and knees for me!

"I think you dropped this," the mysterious guy said smiling at me.

"Oh my gawd! I'm so sorry!" I handed him his books that bumping into each other had caused to fall.

"It's fine. I'm Bryan by the way, Bryan Hill," he replied.

"I…I…I'm Liz," I managed to just barely get out of my mouth.

"Well isn't this a great place to meet," Bryan chuckled.

"Yeah… I gotta go! Uhh… thanks for helping me!" I turned around in shock and darted off into the other direction. If it weren't for my embarrassment though, I wouldn't have wanted to run away. Part of me wished I hadn't. That was probably the best thing that ever happened to me! Bryan Hill picked up my books and I was staring at his dark-brown hair, cobalt blue eyes, and his adorable pearly white smile. A smile beamed across my face from ear-to-ear, and my cheeks began to blush again. Only this time, I was happy.


End file.
